Only In My Dreams
by belarose
Summary: Sam's had dreams about Stars Hollow since he was 16.  Now, he's actually headed there...  Set sometime around season 2 of Supernatural and after season 7 of Gilmore Girls.  AU
1. Chapter 1

Sam was sleeping. Or trying to anyway. He and Dean had taken down a particularly angry ghost the night before and had finally made it back to the motel room as the sun was coming up. Based on how he felt, Sam knew he could only have been asleep about 3 hours and he wanted more. It was pretty hard to sleep though with Dean stomping around the room, banging drawers and closet doors and talking (loudly) on his cell phone.

"I don't know, Bobby," Sam heard Dean say to the phone, "Connecticut's a long way away. Are you sure there's no one closer who could do the job?"

Sam flipped over and buried his face into the pillow. He let out a silent groan. Connecticut? They were in Ohio. Connecticut was like a 10 hour drive and he wanted to sleep, damn it, not sit in a car all day.

"Yo, Sammy! Wanna go check out a poltergeist?" Dean's voice boomed close to Sam's ear.

"Sleeping!" Sam muttered into his pillow. The next thing he knew, the pillow was gone and his head was bouncing onto the hard mattress.

"Dude!" Sam jumped to a sitting position on the bed. "I was _sleeping_ here!"

Dean burst out laughing at the sulky look on Sam's face. "Not anymore, you're not. We gotta get a move on."

Sam refused to budge. "Come on, Dean. A poltergeist in Connecticut can wait a couple hours for us to get a good night's sleep. You really shouldn't drive 10 hours on only a couple hours sleep anyway."

Dean snickered, "Sleeping, huh? Come on –you can sleep in the car and then we'll switch off. Bobby says this poltergeist popped up practically overnight and is causing a shitload of havoc."

Sam sighed and lowered his feet to the floor. He shook his head to clear away the sleepiness, and looked up wearily. "Let me just jump in the shower and we'll head out."

Sam walked into the bathroom to start the shower and then headed back to his duffel bag to find clean clothes. As he turned back to the bathroom, he glanced over at Dean, already immersed in cleaning his guns. "So where are we going in Connecticut to hunt down this poltergeist?" he asked.

"Stars Hollow," Dean replied, not looking up from his task. "Some tiny little Podunk I've never heard of. Apparently this poltergeist is pulling some pretty nasty shit at this little inn."

Sam stopped in his tracks, his heart thudding in his ears. "The Dragonfly Inn?" he choked out.

Dean paused and looked up at Sam, surprised by his reaction."Uh…yeah. Do you –have you been there before or something?"

Sam unfroze and marched into the bathroom. "Or something," he said grimly.

* * *

Sam could tell Dean was ready to pounce as soon as he came out of the bathroom. But Dean managed to hold his curiosity until the guns were in the trunk and the bags in the back seat of the Impala. Only then, as they pulled out of the motel parking lot did Dean's eyes flicker to Sam with interest.

"Alright, Sammy. What do you know about this Star's Hollow?" Dean questioned.

Sam sighed and looked out the passenger window. "I don't know anything really," he admitted.

Dean blew out a frustrated breath. "You know something, Sam! You've obviously heard of the place and you knew the name of the Dragonfly Inn before I even said it. So what gives?"

Sam shook his head, "I _have_ heard of the place…but…" he trailed off. "Well…I thought it was just in my head…just a…dream, that's all."

Dean turned incredulously to Sam. "So you've _dreamed_ about this place? Like those visions you've been having? Why haven't you told me about this?" he demanded.

Sam shook his head again and turned to his brother. "Look," he said earnestly, "this is going to sound crazy. But…I've been dreaming about that place since I was 16. They've stopped in the past couple of years, but I used to dream about Stars Hollow at least weekly for 5 or 6 years. Really vivid dreams too. And I can remember them all – almost like they're my own memories."

Dean gaped at Sam. "You've been dreaming about this place since you were 16 and you never told me or dad? What the hell, Sam!" Sam just shrugged and looked out the window.

They rode in silence for a few miles, Dean's fingers tapping restlessly on the steering wheel. Finally he grimaced slightly and when he spoke, his voice was gentler.

"Okay, Sammy. So tell me about these dreams."

Sam snorted slightly and closed his eyes. He continued staring out the window at the flat, dull landscape. He took a deep breath and began,

"My dreams start with me moving to Stars Hollow. I know I moved from Chicago but I never had any dreams about Chicago – it all just starts in Stars Hollow. I have a mom and dad and a little sister named Clara. And I'm just…just a regular guy." Sam sighed and glanced over at Dean. "And…and my name is Dean. Dean Forester."

Dean snorted a little. "Ha! Even in your dreams you wish you were me," He teased.

Sam shook his head, "I have no idea. I just know I look like me…but…I'm not me. I mean, I _am _me. I still pretty much act like me. But I'm different. I'm kind of a jock. At least I play hockey anyway. And I'm not all that great in school. I mean I do okay, but Rory was always trying to make me read more books and – "

Dean cut him off, "Uh, wait a second…_Rory?_ Who the hell is that?"

Sam coughed, "She's my, uh…I mean, in my dreams, she was my high school girlfriend." Sam decided to just barrel through. "Anyway, my dreams always kind of start with Rory. Everything about Stars Hollow is kind of wrapped up with Rory. Eventually we break up and I marry this other girl, Lindsey…" Sam paused to think but then shook his head as if he just can't remember. "Um…I don't remember much about Lindsey. I do remember cheating on Lindsey with Rory and pretty much the whole town turned against me." Sam chuckled a little bitterly.

Dean cast a worried eye at Sam. "Sammy, these are some freaky dreams to be having. And you had them _every week_ for _years?_"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, but I figured, they're just dreams, you know? But it's weird because…in my dreams, Rory's mom owns the Dragonfly Inn."

Dean shook his head and pulled his phone out of his pocket with one hand. He flipped it open and squinted at it and the windshield as he drove.

"Hey, Ash? Dean Winchester. Listen, my brother and I are on the road on the way to a hunt and we need a little information. You gotta computer nearby?" Dean rolled his eyes. "Of course you do. Anyway, the Dragonfly Inn in Stars Hollow, Connecticut. They got a website?"

Dean glanced over at Sam. Sam stared out the window, deep in thought.

"Yeah? Great. Just looking for the owner's name. Laura? Oh, Laura-lie? And who? …Okay, thanks Ash." Dean flipped his phone shut and looked at Sam. "Stars Hollow's Dragonfly Inn is owned by – "

"Lorelei Gilmore and Sookie St. James." Sam cut him off.

Dean looked at Sam strangely. "Uh, yeah. So…this is _not_ a good sign. Why would you have been having vivid, _memory_-type dreams about a _real _place? And for years?"

Sam sighed. "I guess we're gonna find out, huh?"


	2. Chapter 2

Dean and Sam rode in silence for some time. Dean had popped in a Metallica cassette after he and Sam finished talking and was nervously pounding the steering wheel in rhythm to the music. Sam had rolled his eyes at the musical selection and promptly fallen asleep against the window. He awoke as the car jerked to a stop. He glanced at his watch, noting that it was around 2 pm – meaning they'd been driving for five hours – and they still had five to go. He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

Dean leaned over and switched off Metallica, mid 'Sanitarium.' Sam noticed they were in a diner parking lot and reached for the Impala's door handle. "Wow, Dean. Can't believe it took you this long to stop for food. You must have had snacks stashed somewhere you were hiding from me."

Dean draped his hands over the steering wheel and stared intently at the diner, looking for all purposes like he had no intention of getting out and going inside. "Dean?" Sam prompted. "You ready? Didn't we stop here to eat?"

Dean was silent and Sam started to feel a little edgy. "Uh, Dean?" he questioned.

Dean let out his breath in a long gust. "Sammy, I'm worried," he admitted. "What if this is some sort of ploy by the yellow-eyed demon to get you to Stars Hollow to…I don't know…_get _you? I mean…you have to admit, it's weird. These dreams…now we're going on a hunt there and it's looking like everything you dreamed about the place is true even though you've never really been there…"

Sam held up his hand to stop Dean mid flow. "Look, Dean. I'm worried about it too. Could these dreams have had something to do with the yellow-eyed demon? Maybe. But if there's a legitimate poltergeist haunting these people then we need to stop it. Period. And who knows? Maybe if this town, or my dreams, has something to do with the yellow-eyed demon, or with mom or Jess's death, then maybe we'll get lucky and find out some new information."

Dean grimaced slightly but nodded. "Alright…I don't like it, but…alright. Let's just keep our eyes and ears open. And don't do anything stupid, you hear me?" Dean rolled his shoulders and reached for the door handle. "C'mon – let's eat. God, I hope they have pie – I'm starving!"

Once inside the diner, their order safely on its way to the kitchen, Sam decided to broach the subject again.

"Dean? One point we need to clear up. If these people in Stars Hollow _do_ recognize me…as Dean Forester…what do we tell them? Do I say that I used to be Dean Forester but now I'm Sam Winchester? Do I just say I'm Sam Winchester and I have no idea who Dean Forester is? Or do I pretend that I _am_ Dean Forester and you're just my good buddy with the same first name?"

Dean burst out laughing at Sam's earnest face. "Wow, you've really been thinking about this, huh? What's your gut feeling?" He asked.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. If I tell them I was Dean but now I'm not, that's going to raise a lot of questions. They're going to be suspicious. But I don't think I could pretend to be him either. I never really was him – I just had dreams about him. I'm afraid I'll slip up and ruin the act. I think the best bet is to just be me – and say I've never heard of Dean Forester."

Dean sighed and looked at his hands. "I think-" He was interrupted by the waitress returning with their food. As she set down a massive hamburger in front of him and a piece of apple pie, Dean waggled his eyebrows at Sam. "Thank you, darlin,' " he said to the waitress and her smile brightened. "I'll be right back with some more tea," she promised.

Dean took a huge bite of his burger and eyed Sam's grilled chicken salad skeptically. "Really, dude?" he said, his mouth full of burger. "You're such a chick."

Dean took another bite before finally getting back to Sam's question. "Look, Sam. Let's just see how these people act. Maybe they won't even recognize you. Maybe there was no Dean Forester – or if there was, maybe in real life he didn't even look like you. But I'd say you're right. If people do think they recognize you as Dean Forester, the best bet is to just pretend you don't know what they're talking about. And that way – if the yellow-eyed demon, or some other demon for that matter, has lured us there, then maybe he'll think you don't know anything about the place either and we can use that to our advantage."

Sam nodded slowly. Suddenly he had another thought. "Stars Hollow has only two places to stay in town – the Dragonfly and the Independence Inn. And ain't neither one of those a motel. They're pretty expensive…and I'm pretty sure neither one of them has more than one bed per room…"

Dean groaned and started digging into his pie. The waitress came over with a tea pitcher and refilled Dean's glass. Dean glanced up and winked at her. She giggled and backed up to the counter, without remembering to refill Sam's glass. Sam rolled his eyes and poured half of Dean's glass into his own.

"I hate those damn bed and breakfast places," Dean grumbled. "Ahhh…we'll just use a credit card I guess. And pay for two separate rooms. Damn waste of money."

"We've got to get inside the Dragonfly anyway to catch the poltergeist," Sam reminded Dean.

"Yeah, yeah…you're right," Dean sighed. "Damn. They probably check ID when you pay with a credit card at one of those places." He thought for a minute. "Alright, here's what we'll do. We'll stop off at some cheap place tonight and find a pool hall. We'll make some cash and then be in Stars Hollow by morning. That'll give you some time to do a little more research on Stars Hollow. I really don't like going in there cold anyway."

"Sounds like a plan," Sam agreed and reached over to steal some of Dean's pie.

"You'll lose a hand," Dean warned, holding his fork threateningly.

Sam chuckled and glanced outside at the waiting Impala. "Come on, Dean. Let's hit the road." He was nervous about going to Stars Hollow and he was secretly glad Dean had decided they would spend the night outside of Stars Hollow. That was the reason he'd brought up the bed and breakfast issue in the first place. He wanted time to find out all he could about Stars Hollow…and the Gilmore girls.

Surprisingly, through all the years that he'd dreamed about the place, he'd never looked it up. He'd mistakenly assumed it was just a dream place – something conceived in his subconscious. Now that he knew that it was real, he was itching to boot up his computer and do an in depth study of the town. Was there really a Doose's Market? And a Luke's Diner? Was there a Ms. Patty and a Babette and a Kirk? But really, he knew, the very first search he would do would be for her. Rory Gilmore. Was she real? Was she…_his_ Rory Gilmore? The one he remembered from his dreams? The girl of his dreams?


	3. Chapter 3

**Sam and Dean are fairly easy to write but the folks of Stars Hollow? Not so much. I'm not sure I got their "voices" right, but I'm trying. Reviews would be appreciated - good or bad. :-)**

* * *

They were on the road by 9 AM, Dean beating out a nervous staccato on the steering wheel with his fingers. Another Metallica cassette was in the player, another song blaring – 'For Whom the Bell Toils' this time. Sam sighed and closed his eyes, trying to mentally prepare himself for the upcoming day.

They'd driven a few more hours the previous night until Dean had seen a roadside pool hall he'd deemed "perfect." Dean and Sam played doubles; Dean's talent and experience just barely overriding Sam's obvious ineptness. Finally, the break they were looking for appeared. Two guys, overly sure of themselves, especially after having watched Dean and Sam barely squeaking out the last three wins, threw $200 down on the table and challenged the brothers. Dean accepted and smirked as he gave Sam the go ahead to break. Sam then proceeded to run the table.

Dean had snatched the $200 off the table and nodded at their open-mouthed competitors. "Nice doing business with you," he'd grinned. Sam had grinned too and thrown his stick on the table. They'd hurried out as the crowd started rumbling and muttering dangerously about hustlers. With that $200 and their five previous close wins, they'd made $350. Not too bad for a couple hours of just playing pool.

They'd rode on down the road to the next available motel and spent $29.95 for a real winner of a room. Sam was just happy they had wi-fi. He had then spent the next few hours researching. He found that everything he remembered about Stars Hollow was accurate. He'd even found a couple of references to Dean Forester in the archives of the Stars Hollow Gazette. One was a sports page blurb about a school hockey game. The other was a wedding announcement. There was no picture included, but Sam remembered that when he – when _Dean_ – married Lindsey they hadn't had time to get a picture into the paper before the deadline.

He'd googled Rory too. She was just as he remembered. Valedictorian at Chilton Prep, Vice-President of the Student Body, and member of the school newspaper, _The Franklin_. She'd had numerous articles as a staff writer, and then editor, of the _Yale Daily News_. He found several society page articles linking her to millionaire Logan Huntzberger, but the most recent news he'd found on her seemed to imply that she had moved on to politics. He was somewhat relieved. It looked like Rory wouldn't be slumming in Stars Hollow.

Now they were 2 miles out and Sam was wishing he'd researched the poltergeist, instead of the people of Stars Hollow. He wanted to get in and out of that sleepy old town as quickly as possible.

"You're going to want to watch for the turn. It's up here about a quarter mile on the right. It's hard to see," Sam cautioned. Dean shot him a look but promptly began to slow down, not wanting to miss the turn.

They pulled up to the Dragonfly Inn and Dean shut off the engine, gazing up at the turn-of-the-century architecture. He groaned out loud. This was the type of prissy, fussy place he _hated _to stay in. But just the type of place that looked like it would have a ghost or two haunting it. Oh, it was charming and rustic – but it was old and had a certain _air_.

"Alright, Sammy?" Dean asked. Sam nodded and shrugged. "Then, let's do this."

They both climbed out of the car, stretching their bodies from the brutal two day road trip. Dean traipsed up the steps to the door; Sam not far behind.

Inside, Michel looked up as Dean stepped through the door. He rolled his eyes. "Oh, goody," he said aloud. "More customers." He tsk-ed under his breath as he fully saw Dean – the leather jacket, the boots, the frayed jeans. "Oh, no, no, _no_. _Un_acceptable." He stalked off into the dining room before Dean could make it to the front desk. Michel barely got a glimpse of a huge shape lurking in the doorway and he shivered as he hurried into the kitchen.

"Lore_lei!_" he hissed. "There are two _customers_ out front requiring your attention. One looks unwashed and homeless and the other seems to be some sort of gargantuan." He sniffed in disdain. "_You_ get rid of them."

"_Michel_," Lorelei whined. "I haven't had my coffee yet. You know I can't deal with people without my coffee. Shoo, shoo. Go do your job."

Michel raised his eyebrows and looked pointedly at the coffee cup in her hand. "I do _believe_ you were sipping on _that _a good thirty minutes ago when you arrived."

Lorelei looked cornered. "Yeah, but…but…that coffee was no good. I'm waiting on the _good_ coffee. I need a good coffee buzz before I can be presentable."

Michel got behind her and pushed. "_GO._ I am not helping them. Even now, they may be stuffing the silver in their jackets and smearing dirt on the sofa. You better get out there."

"Alright, alright, I'm going," Lorelei chided and then took another long drink from her mug. Michel looked thunderously at her and Lorelei almost choked before setting her cup down and raising her palms to him."Okay! I'm gone."

Lorelei briskly walked from the kitchen to the front desk, preparing her "customer" smile.

"Gooood morning!" she said brightly and looked up, up, up into the dark brown eyes of –

"Dean!" she gasped.

Dean pulled a face at Sam, but Lorelei missed it because she was staring so intently at Sam. Sam shifted his eyes nervously at Dean and inclined his head with his eyes wide, as if to say _help me out here._

Dean cleared his throat. "Um…well, hello there," he said with his smoothest voice and most charming smirk. "I arrive in a new town and already the pretty ladies know my name. How do you do, Miss…?"

Lorelei shifted confused eyes to Dean. She glanced at the hand he was offering and, after a moment's hesitation, and a shifty squint at Sam, she placed her hand in his.

"I'm sorry…_what?_" she questioned.

"I'm Dean." Dean grinned at her. "But somehow, I guess you already knew that. This is my brother, Sam. And you are…?"

"Oh! Lorelei Gilmore. Welcome to the Dragonfly Inn." Lorelei said automatically. She saw Michel watching from the dining room from the corner of her eye and she glared at him briefly. He disappeared abruptly, _probably to get Sookie_, she thought.

She glanced back and forth from the one who called himself Dean to his brother. _Sam_, she thought. Her eyes narrowed on Sam.

"Is this some kind of joke? It hasn't been _that _long, _Sam_. I think I'd still recognize you." Her voice dripped with disdain as she said his name.

Sam shuffled nervously from foot to foot and looked down at her from under his untidy bangs. He glanced at Dean who widened his eyes at him as if to say, _dude! Stop acting like a chick_. It was funny how they could read each other's facial expressions so well.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Sam began earnestly. Lorelei's face crinkled into shock at the "ma'am" and Sam felt a sliver of amusement. "I didn't realize we'd met before. Perhaps you could remind me?" He gave her what Dean called the "super Sammy puppy dog eyes."

Lorelei seemed indecisive. She paused and then her face smoothed. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "You look a _lot_ like someone I used to know. His name is Dean Forester. I'm guessing you don't know him?"

Sam shook his head. "No ma'am. I'm afraid I don't."

Dean stepped in front of Sam. "Well, now you know Dean Winchester, and I can guarantee that's even better."

"Sure," Lorelei said, seemingly unconvinced. She abruptly adopted a brisk, business-like manner. "Now, what can I do for you two? Are you looking for a room?"

Dean nodded. "We are. We've heard Stars Hollow is a great place for antiques. Sammy, here…well, he just loves antiques. He's always dragging me off to help him find some 18th century chair or a Mayan doorknob…aren't you Sammy?"

Dean elbowed Sam and Sam stepped down hard on his foot. Dean winced. Lorelei looked at the brothers questioningly.

Sam sighed, "Yes…that's right." He shot a sideways glare at Dean. "We were hoping to spend the weekend here. Do you have a vacancy?"

Lorelei's eyes swept over them again. "I'm assuming you'd like _two_ _queens_?" she asked amusedly.

"Uh, yeah, if you've got it," Dean said awkwardly. "Or two rooms…"

Lorelei smiled. "You're in luck. I'll have Michel show you to your room." Lorelei peered around the corner to where Michel and Sookie were hovering in the dining room.

"Oh, Mi_chel_," Lorelei called. "Please show these gentlemen to room 107, please."

Michel smirked superciliously. "If you will follow me…"

As soon as Sam and Dean were out of sight, Lorelei sprinted as fast as her heels would allow her to the dining room. She grabbed Sookie's hand and pulled her into the kitchen.

Sookie clapped her hands together. "Is that _Dean?_ What's he doing here? Oh, my God – is he _gay?"_

Lorelei fumbled in her purse for her cell phone, waving at Sookie to shut up. "Nooo," she hissed. "Hang on and I'll tell you."

She pressed her phone to her ear. "Rory? Get your butt down to the Inn, missy. A-SAP. You are not going to _believe_ this…"


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm here! I'm here!" Rory called as she half jogged through the front door of the Dragonfly. She headed toward the front desk and then zigzagged back toward the dining room when she saw that the front was empty.

Lorelei met her in the kitchen doorway. "Shhh…" she hissed. "Get in here!" She pulled Rory into the kitchen and then stopped short to take stock of Rory's attire. "WHAT are you wearing?" Lorelei asked in horror.

Rory glanced down at her cutoffs and faded grey t-shirt. She casually shrugged. "I'm dressed. I'm here. What more do you want?" At her mother's continuing horrified look, she started to become self-conscious and tugged at the bottom of her shorts. "What?" she challenged. "You called and demanded my presence right away; I thought something was wrong. You know, I only get a week off and if this is some kind of evil plan to ruin my vacation itinerary, I am going to have some very strong words for you, missy!"

"Your vacation itinerary?" Lorelei scoffed. "You mean your plans to sleep 'til noon, never take off your pajamas, and watch old movies and eat pancakes every night?" She paused and tilted her head to the right thoughtfully. "Actually…that does sound like a pretty awesome vacation…can I beg off work too and join?"

Rory laughed and shook her head. "Okay, seriously. Why am I here? If I'm not needed, my bed is calling my name."

Lorelei seized Rory by the arm and pulled her out of the kitchen. As they walked to the front desk, her eyes darted about and she stepped cautiously, as if preparing for an ambush.

"What are we hiding from?" Rory whispered, amused. Her mother opened a drawer and fumbled in her purse, finally producing a tube of lipstick with a loud, "Ah-HA!"

"Quick! Go put some lipstick on," she directed and she shooed Rory toward the mirror in the lobby. Rory dug in her heels at the staircase and whipped around to stare accusingly at her mother.

"You did _not_ call me down here to meet some guy," she gasped. Lorelei opened her eyes wide and tried to look innocent. "You did – you _did_ call me down here to meet some guy. I can't _believe_ you! First of all, when has there _ever_ been a single guy who's stayed here who wasn't with his _mother_ and second of all – you…you…" Rory blustered, starting to run out of steam. "You could have at least warned me," she muttered.

"How was _I_ to know you'd run down here in your laundry day clothes?" Lorelei eyed her daughter's ensemble with barely concealed amusement. "But anyway, it's not just _some guy_ I want you to meet. Listen - these _two_ guys came in and asked for a room and-"

"So they're _gay_? Oh, well, great. Thanks a lot, Mom. Now I'm really glad I rushed down here." Rory rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest.

"_NO_, Rory, listen! They said they're brothers or something…no, the part you're not going to believe is - one of them could totally be Dean's twin and the other one, whose name is Dean coincidentally, is like _major _hot too!"

"Wait…what?" Rory looked confused. "You called me down here to meet some guys, one of whom looks like my ex-boyfriend and the other who has the name of my ex-boyfriend, and you think this warranted a 10:00 AM wake-up call?"

"No, Rory, you don't _understand_ – this guy…" Lorelei trailed off as she heard footsteps overhead. She blinked exaggeratedly at Rory and fluttered her hands in the universal _shhhh_ gesture. She went to stand beside Rory and craned her head to peek briefly up the staircase. She nudged Rory's shoulder with her own and whispered, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Rory sighed loudly. Clomping down the stairs were two booted feet. As the body began to emerge, Rory found herself standing up a little straighter. In moments, his head appeared and she shot her mom an incredulous look.

Lorelei waggled her eyebrows back at Rory and smirked. The guy coming down the stairs was beyond good-looking. Even with all the layers he was wearing, Rory could tell he was in top physical shape. His face was classically handsome – high cheekbones, straight nose, full lips, green eyes rimmed with long, dark lashes. And he just exuded masculinity.

When he saw them standing at the foot of the stairs, watching him descend, the guy smirked and paused. He looked over his shoulder and tossed a comment back at the booted feet following behind him.

Rory narrowed her eyes as he reached the bottom of the stairs. She couldn't be sure, but it had _sounded_ like he'd said, "Your Rory's here," to his companion…but that couldn't be right because how would he know her name? Maybe her mother mentioned it when he checked in?

Rory didn't have any more time to ponder the question, because the second body emerged after the first and she found that all thought had fled her mind. _Dean_. It was Dean. And there was that feeling. That feeling in your gut when you see your first love again, after a long separation. There's the initial slam of your heart in your chest and then the butterflies start, and you feel just like that nervous schoolgirl who said, "Because I love you, you idiot!"

Sam took in Rory's wide-eyed stare and glanced at Dean before deciding to take charge this time. "Lorelei," he nodded in her direction and then shifted his eyes back to Rory. "Hi. I'm Sam. That's my brother, Dean." He jerked his head in Dean's direction.

Lorelei could see that Rory had seemingly no intention of responding, or maybe even moving, so she put her arm around Rory's shoulders and pulled her forward. "This is my daughter, Rory. Rory is a journalist following the Obama presidential campaign and is home for a week visiting with me."

"Daughter, huh?" Dean chimed in. He stepped forward and stuck his hand out. "Hi, Rory. It's nice to meet you. My brother, Sam, and I are on a mini-vacation ourselves."

Rory haltingly reached out to shake his hand, but then seemed to shake herself out of her stupor. She grasped his hand firmly. He had a nice hand – large, dry, warm. Her hand felt clammy and sweaty in his. She pulled her hand away and surreptitiously wiped it on her shorts. Sam noticed and his lips quirked.

Sam was shocked at how he'd felt the moment he saw her. All the dreams seemed so solid now that she was standing in front of him. Everything about her was so familiar and…real. She was _real_. He could scarcely believe it. He knew, in his dreams, that Dean Forester had loved her completely and painfully. But Dean Forester wasn't Sam Winchester. Yet Sam was shocked by the force of the emotions that had rolled through him when he'd first seen her standing there at the foot of the stairs.

She was beautiful. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and her face was clear of makeup; her porcelain skin glowing. He had almost laughed at her outfit – it looked like the one she had described that her mother had worn on Rory's first day at Chilton. But she just looked like Rory – the same Rory he'd dreamed about on at least a weekly basis for more than five years of his life. He just couldn't believe she was there, _in the flesh_, right in front of him.

"So _Sam_, here…" Lorelei squinted at him and then turned back to Rory. "He likes _antiquing._"

Rory looked amused. She focused on Sam. "You do, do you? What are you searching for in Stars Hollow? We could probably point you in the right direction."

"Oh, um…uh…" Sam stuttered. He looked helplessly at Dean. "Well, you know, just this…or that…"

"A teapot!" Dean interjected. He stomped over to stand beside Sam and clapped him on the back. "C'mon, Sammy. Don't be shy." Dean leaned forward, confidingly. "He's looking for a special early…Renaissance…teapot."

Sam glared at Dean and then looked nervously back at Rory and Lorelei. "He's _kidding_," he gritted through his teeth. "He likes to make fun of me…about the antiques, you know. He finds it _hilarious._" Dean grinned. He did find it hilarious.

Sam continued, "I'm actually more of an antique weapons collector." He shot a look at Dean, daring him to contradict the story. Dean would do it too, he knew, just to screw with Sam –to make him seem girly or nerdy.

Dean just shrugged and continued grinning. He was finding this all very entertaining. The dynamic had shifted right away as soon as Rory had come into the picture. Sam was all twitchy and nervous. Dean was still _worried,_ sure, about the hunt and the dreams…but he was amused as hell too.

"Ohhh," Lorelei breathed. Sam could have sworn he saw her breathe a sigh of relief, but he wasn't sure. "Well," she continued, "Rory here knows all the great spots to find the best old stuff. I'm sure she'd love to show you boys around. Wouldn't you, honey?"

"Ummm…" Rory and Sam both stammered at the same time. Sam recovered first. "That _would _be very helpful…if you had the time."

"Ummm…" Rory couldn't believe she was at a loss for words. She looked at Dean, no _Sam_, and swallowed hard. He looked just like her Dean, although, now that she looked at him more closely, she could see that he held himself in a different way – more confident, more _ready_, and his eyes – his eyes were harder and there was more sadness in them than she had ever seen in Dean in all the years she'd known him. She suddenly wanted to know more about this _not_Dean. She squared her shoulders and dropped her hesitation.

"Sure," she said. "Let me run home and change and I'll be back in 15. We can run up to Luke's Diner if you want and then I'll take you guys to all the best spots."

"Thanks," Sam gave her a warm smile. "We'll be here." Rory nodded once, raised her eyebrows at her mother and jogged out the door and down the drive.

"So this Luke's Diner," Dean began, turning toward Lorelei and waggling his eyebrows, "they got any good pie?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, so sorry it's taken me so long to update. I plan to keep writing this story, but my life has gotten really busy and hectic over the last couple of weeks. So, I promise to continue it - just not as quickly as I would like. :-)**

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"Get away from the door!" Lorelei hissed, pulling Sookie by the arm.

"I just wanted to look…" Sookie whined, yanking her arm free from Lorelei's grasp. "I barely got a good look at them and you wouldn't let me go out even to serve them coffee. I'm in charge of the kitchen; I should be serving them coffee!"

Michel sniffed superciliously, "Hmph…and now, Lorelei, what do you propose we _do_ now that these _adorable_ young men are staying with us, hmmm?"

Lorelei turned toward Michel to snap back at him, but then, seeing the completely serious look on his face, she fell silent. She picked up her coffee cup and sipped nervously. "W-what do you mean?"

Michel harrumphed. "Oh, _please_, Lorelei. You know _exactly_ what I mean. This little _problem_…the reason our precious inn is so very _empty_ this weekend…I _thought_ we weren't taking any more guests until we figured out what to do…"

Sookie appeared over Michel's shoulder, looking anxious. "He is actually right, Lorelei. Why did you even book them a room? Who knows what will happen tonight?"

Lorelei sighed, a crease appearing on her brow. She rubbed her head. "You're both right. I-I don't know _what _I was thinking. I-I guess they caught me off guard. I guess I was hoping…you know, it's been quiet for a couple of nights…"

Sookie shook her head emphatically, "Yes, but there were no _guests_ here. Remember what happened the last time we had guests? We-we're just going to have to tell them we're closed…send them to the Independence Inn…I guess…as much as I hate to. It's been a week since we've had a paying guest!" She burst out.

Lorelei suddenly straightened from her slumped position against the stainless steel table. "Crap!" She smacked the palm of her hand against her forehead. "I didn't even get a credit card number or anything from them! What is _wrong_ with me? Are they still out there? Michel – look – look!"

Michel rolled his eyes and peeped out of the swinging kitchen door. "Yes, they are still out there. Drinking coffee, probably getting mud all over our furniture."

Lorelei turned wide-eyed to Sookie and Michel. "So I'll just- just tell them to go then? You don't think – maybe we should just _see_ what happens?"

Sookie looked sad. "Oh, honey – I don't think we should take that chance. Who knows _what _could happen if they stay here tonight. I just- I don't know what we're going to do. We can't run an inn like this."

Lorelei took a deep breath and ran a hand down her suit jacket to straighten it. She flashed a sad smile at Sookie. "I don't know either, Sook."

Lorelei came out of the kitchen and stopped short when she saw Dean and Sam sitting just inside the dining room door.

"Hey…guys." She began. She walked over to them, twisting her hands together. "Listen….we've, um…been having some trouble with the A/C system – you know, we don't have to turn it on much here in Connecticut so…um…" Lorelei suddenly couldn't remember the story she'd been using to keep customers from booking over the last week.

"Oh – you want us to take a look at it?" Sam offered, jumping up from the table. He gave Dean a swift, knowing glance before turning back to Lorelei. "Dean and I – well, we kind of do contract work around the country and I bet we could easily take care of the problem for you."

Dean sat and watched the exchange quietly, letting Sam take the lead. Lorelei looked between them, visibly becoming more nervous.

"Well…um…see the thing is…" she trailed off. "It's-well, we think it might be _more_ than just the A/C. Might be electrical too…"

"No problem," Sam said grinning. "We can do that too. In fact, we've got tools in the car."

Lorelei stood silent for a moment, still twisting her hands. Sam grinned wider. "Hey! What's this? Lorelei Gilmore – at a loss for words?"

Lorelei stopped twisting her hands and mock glared at Sam. "You don't know me," she teased.

Dean stood up. "Really, Lorelei. If you can tell us a little about the problem, we really can take care of it. We've done it before."

Lorelei sank into a chair. The boys looked at each and swiftly sat down to join her, Sam leaning forward to play his role. Dean grinned and looked away to hide the smile.

"It's okay, Lorelei. Just…tell us what's going on." Sam said softly. Lorelei gave Sam a strange look and Dean had to look away again and cough to smother his laugh. Sam half-glared at Dean before giving Lorelei his complete attention again.

"Look," she said. "We don't know _what_ is going on. There's strange noises – sounds coming from the walls, lights flickering off and on…just the whole place is out of control."

Dean looked around. "Been fine since we got here."

Lorelei sighed. "Yeah, that's just thing. It only does it _sometimes_. Usually at night, but it's happened during the day before. I know it – it kind of doesn't sound like a lot – but it's actually very intense when it's happening. And-and one of our guests saw…" She broke off, feeling silly.

"Saw what?" Sam leaned even closer and spoke softly. Lorelei looked at him strangely again. He looked so much like _Dean_ but he was strangely intense. Sam seemed to realize that his normal mode of questioning people who had been affected by the supernatural was not working with Lorelei. He sat back and took a sip on his coffee.

Lorelei sighed. "I don't know. She just said – something was in the closet."

"Which room?" Dean piped up, looking suddenly more interested.

Lorelei thought for a moment. "110." She started to feel embarrassed again. "Anyway, it's silly. I'm sure it's just electrical or something – you know?"

Sam and Dean exchanged a look. They spent a few more minutes questioning Lorelei and found out the problem had begun two weeks ago. Lorelei couldn't remember if they acquired any new furniture or other items in the past month. Sookie came out to refill coffee cups and mouthed, _Oh my God_, at Lorelei when she turned her back to the boys. Lorelei grinned.

"Listen, Lorelei," Sam said earnestly. "We _can_ take care of this for you." Lorelei looked doubtful.

"Look, if you wanna just…are there other guests here?" Dean looked around curiously. Lorelei shook her head no. "Oh, well, actually that's good." Dean looked relieved. "Look, if you wanna just…find some place to go for a couple of hours, take your staff with you – we could probably have this figured out in no time."

"Oh, well I-" Lorelei seemed unsure again. "I don't know if I should just _leave_ you two here…"

Sam smiled winningly at Lorelei. "It's better if you're not here. We're going to turn off all the power, the A/C – you know – just go find something nice to do for the afternoon and when you get back – your problem will be solved." He snapped his fingers.

Lorelei suddenly made up her mind. "Okay. But I don't know you. So I need a credit card and an ID to book you a room for the night. And in case there are any _damages…_" She looked sheepish. "Actually, I should have gotten that information from you anyway. Don't know where my head was…"

"Sure, of course." Sam said. Sam looked to Dean expectantly. Dean widened his eyes at Sam. Sam shook his head slightly at Dean, _what?_ Dean inclined his head, eyes wider. Lorelei watched the whole exchange, fascinated by the silent conversation.

Realizing Lorelei was going to become suspicious, Dean finally huffed, "Dude! _Dead_!" hoping Sam would take the hint. Sam's face flushed slightly and he stood quickly, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. Lorelei stood too and crossed her arms over her chest. She was really confused.

Sam handed Lorelei his California driver's license and a credit card. She took them silently and made her way to the lobby desk. Dean shook his head at Sam and smacked him on the shoulder as Sam sat back down.

"Dude!" Sam said, "You're so lucky I even HAD a credit card in my name. Damn, I hope the account is still open."

Rory burst in, skidding to a stop when she saw the boys sitting in the dining room. She moved a little more sedately until she reached the table. As she went to sit, she noticed a card on the floor. Picking it up, she looked at his curiously before offering it to Sam. "This yours?" she asked.

It was his Stanford student ID. Feeling strangely embarrassed , Sam quickly tucked it back into his wallet. Dean inclined his head curiously, having not seen what had passed between their hands.

"So," Rory started. "You go to Stanford?" She was a little impressed. Sam felt a flush begin up his neck and he dropped his head a little, not wanting to look at Dean.

"I-I used to…"

"Oh!" Rory frowned. "But…not anymore?"

"Taking some time off," Sam answered. Rory noticed that Dean began to frown and she felt sorry she'd brought the subject up. She was intrigued by Sam. Or _not_Dean as she was beginning to call him in her mind. She looked at Dean and _not_Dean and almost couldn't stop herself from chuckling.

"So, you guys ready for a great lunch and a fun-filled day of antiquing?" She wasn't sure why the dynamic had changed in the room, but it suddenly seemed very tense.

Lorelei stepped back into the room, handing Sam his card and ID. "Actually, honey, Sam and Dean have graciously offered to take care of our little _problem_ around here. So we're just going to scram for a couple of hours. Unless…" she looked expectantly at Sam and Dean. "You guys want to go eat and do this later?"

"No, no." Dean stood up. "We'll get it out of the way first and then Rory here – and maybe you too" –he winked at Lorelei – "can give us the grand tour of the town. We might have to stay an extra day though so Sammy can find his whole dish set." Sam rolled his eyes but managed to bite his tongue.

"Sure," Lorelei grinned. "C'mon Rory, let's get Sookie and Michel out of here so these boys can work their magic. Michel is going to swoon at the thought of an afternoon off. Here…Sam," as she saw Sam making his way to the fuse box, "Let me show you-"

Sam pushed the handle up and to the left and then back to the right before opening the box. "I got it. No problem," he said, already caught up in the task at hand.

Lorelei looked surprised. "Oh-okay. Alright, well, we'll scram and be back…early afternoon?" she questioned. Dean gave her a nod and went to join Sam at the fuse box.

Lorelei pulled Rory into the kitchen and gave her a serious look. "And _Sam_ knew the trick to that fuse box…how?"


	6. Chapter 6

**So, it's a short chapter. And it's been forever since I've updated. Honestly, I don't know if I can finish it - not really sure where to go from here - someone want to offer me some ideas?**

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Sam and Dean sprawled in the lobby, the poltergeist long since taken care of. Sure they'd gotten a little banged up, and there had been some loud noises and flickering lights, but all in all, it had been surprisingly easy to vanquish the ghost. Almost _too _easy.

Sam sighed and rolled his shoulders forward and back. He'd been knocked into a dresser and his neck had a serious crick. "Dude. . . Lorelei's going to be seriously pissed about the holes in her walls."

"Better holes in the wall than a damn poltergeist taking over this place," Dean shot back. He sighed and leaned back against the delicate sofa, hoping it didn't suddenly collapse and crash beneath his weight. "Whatever, man. We need to stay the night anyway. We've gone too long without sleep. We'll pick up some supplies tomorrow and patch the walls for your girlfriend's mother. Does that make you happy, _Dean_?"

Sam snorted and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, _Dean_." He shoved his bangs off his forehead and let out a deep breath.

"It was too easy," Dean said quietly. Sam looked over at him questioningly. Dean had his eyes closed but there were faint lines creasing his brow. Dean opened his eyes to see the question in Sam's eyes.

"C'mon, Sam. Think about it. When I talked to Bobby, this poltergeist was causing all kinds of ruckus. And we get here and we're done in – what? – an hour and a half? And with no more than a couple bumps and bruises for our troubles? That's too easy, man. I'm worried about this. It makes me think – you know. . . ?"

Sam nodded slowly. "You're right. Maybe we should just hightail it out of here? Put a couple hundred miles behind us. . . ?"

"I don't know, Sammy. . ." Dean said tiredly.

A sudden noise had the brothers on their feet in seconds, Dean leveling his shotgun full of rock salt at the door to the kitchen. When Lorelei and Rory appeared in the doorway a few seconds later, Dean's finger twitched on the trigger, an automatic response to their spontaneous appearance.

"Jesus Christ! I almost shot you!" Dean muttered, swiftly lowering the rifle.

Lorelei and Rory gaped from the doorway, having stopped in their tracks the instant they saw the shotgun and the boys' bedraggled appearances.

"What is this? 'Shotgun Stories'?" Lorelei quipped, slowing unfreezing and picking her way gingerly towards the brothers. Rory followed cautiously.

"Uh. . ." Sam rubbed the back of his neck and shot a worried glance at Dean. They had planned to have all their _supplies_ packed back up in the Impala before Lorelei returned.

Dean shrugged minutely at Sam and returned his attention to Lorelei. "Sorry, lady," he said gruffly, "We were worried we hadn't finished our job. But we did. Don't worry. Poltergeist's gone."

"What?" Rory peered from behind her mother. "Poltergeist? What-what's going on here? Are we living in Amityville now?"

Sam laughed nervously. "Uh, yeah. Something like that. Anyway, uh. . . Lorelei. . . problem fixed. There's uh - there's a couple of walls we need to patch up, but it's – you know – we'll just go ahead and take care of that tomorrow." He shuffled nervously under Lorelei and Rory's incredulous eyes.

"You're serious? A poltergeist? Wait – Seriously?" Lorelei demanded.

Dean snorted, finally done with this conversation. He turned on his heel to return the shotgun to the Impala, but then thought better of it – he might still need it if the poltergeist – no, if the yellow eyed _demon_ was still lurking. "What'd you think it was? C'mon! It wasn't and electrical problem. You know that! Anyway, it's done. Don't worry about it. We'll patch up the couple spots where we had to break in the walls and you can forget this ever happened. Or not – write it up in a brochure, offer ghost tours – whatever. Damn, I need some food."

In spite of themselves, Lorelei and Rory found themselves snickering. "Wow. A real life poltergeist – imagine that." Lorelei said. "I think I'm going to have to know more about this but, in the meantime, what do you say we show you boys the way to Luke's for some dinner?"

Sam grimaced, but then caught himself and smoothed his expression. Unfortunately, Lorelei's sharp eyes noticed the expression.

"Problem with that, Sam?" she asked smoothly.

"What? Uh, no – no, ma'am," he fumbled. He composed himself and gave her a soft smile, including Rory in his gaze. "We don't want to put you out. I'm sure we can wander around and find something ourselves."

"Go get cleaned up," Lorelei ordered imperiously. "We're leaving in 15."

Dean and Sam exchanged looks and headed upstairs. Lorelei and Rory exchanged looks as well.

"Mom," Rory said, "Really? Poltergeist? So…no wonder they're so hot. They're crazy, obviously."

Lorelei looked undecided. "I don't know. You weren't here when the really _crazy_ stuff was going on. Sookie and I – well, we _did_ kind of think we were being haunted."

"What?" Rory scoffed, "Were you seeing twin girls and naked decaying women and calling out 'redrum'?"

Lorelei huffed and rolled her eyes. "Shut it. Let's just say, if it turns out that what they're saying is true – I wouldn't be 100% surprised, is all."

Rory looked surprised. "Okay. Well, then. Do you think it's really gone for good, then?"

Lorelei shrugged helplessly. "No clue. I guess we'll find out. I guess it's good they're here, huh? Our own personal ghostbusters. And _way_ hotter than Bill Murphy and Dan Akroyd." She smirked.


	7. Chapter 7

Sam and Rory walked a few paces behind Dean and Lorelei on the way to town, Sam sneaking sidelong glances at Rory beneath his too-long bangs. He couldn't characterize all the emotions he was feeling. Everything seemed familiar, but _not_. Like a movie you've watched too many times. Or an event from your childhood that you don't really remember, but your brother has told you about so many times that it seems like your own memory. The dreams were all there, just at the edge of his memory, tugging at his consciousness, but overlaid with the brighter, more vivid, _real_ memories – of Dean and his dad and _Jess_. . .

Sam cleared his throat, deciding it was time to clear the silence. "So. . . journalist, huh? That uh, Obama deal sounds like, a uh, pretty awesome opportunity." Sam was not _at all_ following the presidential election. He used to be really interested in politics, considering he was pre-law and had been double majoring in history and political science when he was at Stanford. But since then, other things, you know, like this crazy thing he called a _life,_had gotten in the way.

Rory looked up at him, smiling and nodding in assent. "Yeah, it is a great opportunity. I'm really happy to be there," she said simply. "Not too sure what's going to happen when the election is over – but I'm trying not to worry about that." She smiled wider at Sam.

Sam nodded eagerly, attempting to seem invested in the conversation when he was really just wracking his brain to come up with response. Luckily he was saved by their timely arrival at the front of Luke's Diner. Sam noticed Luke inside at the counter and groaned inwardly. He was rethinking his decision to completely disavow all knowledge of Dean Forester. _Damn_, but this was going to be awkward.

"You okay?" Dean asked under his breath. Sam hadn't even noticed when Dean had sidled closer but he felt a little better having Dean close by for support. He nodded shortly and moved forward to open and hold the door for Lorelei and Rory.

Lorelei and Rory entered the diner, Lorelei instantly tensing when Luke looked up toward the door. She hadn't even thought how Dean and Sam would be viewed. _Of course_ everyone would think Sam was Dean Forester; she wasn't even convinced he wasn't. And Luke and Dean hadn't been on the best of terms before Dean left Stars Hollow.

Lorelei raised a hand to Luke, but made her way to a table with uncharacteristic silence. Rory, not uncharacteristically, was also silent. The silence was noticeable as, as soon as Dean and Sam had breached the doorway, the entire diner had quieted.

Dean and Sam looked at each other for a split second before pushing their way inside. They made noise, attempting to counteract the unnatural silence; boots stomping too loudly, chairs scraping the floor as they were pulled back; menus thwapping against the table.

"So," Dean said enthusiastically, his voice carrying throughout the room, "what's good here?"

Gradually, noise returned to the diner as conversations restarted, and new whispered ones started. Sam watched with some trepidation as Luke stalked over to their table.

"Lorelei. Rory." Luke said shortly in greeting before turning the full force of his frown to the two men. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Dean inwardly laughed; a smirk all that showed on his face. This guy could give Sammy a run for his money on the bitchface. He did his best to hold back a snort.

"To eat, of course," Dean answered easily. "You got any specials, man? What can you recommend?"

Luke glared a little at Sam, but Sam decided to act like he didn't notice. It wasn't too hard considering he _was _noticing an unfamiliar face regarding both him and Dean a little too avidly from across the diner. The blond girl wasn't someone he'd seen in Stars Hollow in his dreams, and she was watching them both with an intense, unblinking stare. As he watched, she seemed to shake herself out of her trance, and turned back to her companion with a laughing comment.

Sam mentally shrugged, but found himself nervous enough by the way the girl had looked at him to risk clueing Dean in. Sam smiled briefly at Luke, "Coffee, thanks," before nudging Dean with his shoulder.

Dean leaned toward Sam, still eagerly perusing the menu. "Whatcha gonna have, Sammy?" he asked, but the undertone was there, _What's wrong?_

"Something strange about the blond at 10 o'clock," Sam muttered under his breath before leaning back and focusing his attention on Lorelei and Rory. Dean flipped his menu closed and glanced around under the pretense of looking for Luke. He shrugged a shoulder at Sam.

Lorelei and Rory traded glances. Lorelei was trying her best _not _to look at Luke behind the counter. She knew he was glaring in her direction but she pointedly kept her head turned away.

"So, Sam. . . " she started warmly, only to be interrupted when Luke returned, slamming coffee mugs down on the table. He poured coffee into each mug sloppily, spilling coffee here and there.

"Lorelei," Luke all but growled, "I'd like to speak with you please. _Now_."

Lorelei laughed a little nervously. "Oh, Luke, if all you wanted was a kiss, you just had to ask." But she got up anyway, smoothing down the skirt of her business suit.

"Hey!" Dean interjected. "Before you two run off to make out, think you could take our order? Seriously, I'm about to pass out."

"What'dya want?" Luke growled, not bothering to take out his pad to record the order. Dean nodded toward Rory. After she ordered "the usual," Dean unsurprisingly ordered a cheeseburger with fries. However, when Sam followed suit, Dean turned in his chair in surprise.

"Dude! Seriously? You don't want your chick food?"

Sam rolled his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Shut up." He muttered. "The burgers are good here . . . I'm sure . . .," He tacked on with a quick glance at Rory. "I mean, they _look_ good."

Dean patted Sam awkwardly on the arm. "Well, good. It's about time you ate some real food." He grimaced and reached for the sugar to doctor his coffee.

Rory looked between the two of them curiously. She felt like she had missed something important. She couldn't figure out why the two brothers were acting so strange. Then she remembered, _Oh that's right, they just took down a poltergeist . . .so yeah, they're totally normal – nothing strange about that at all._


End file.
